Atmosphere. Just before Christmas.

Tomorrow is already Christmas Eve! 

When I was a child this was definitely the best time of the year. Cold but cozy. Dark but shiny. Full of family meetings but intimate. And overall, everything was contained inside a magical atmosphere. It was the time when my imagination flew the most. Now I am not a child anymore but I still enjoy it in the same way, with the same excitement.

This year we spend Christmas here in Germany. At the moment we are in Heidelberg to celebrate it with Manfred's family. The advent is as important and magical as Christmas. Therefore I have been every day of December enjoying my ornaments and burning out the Christmas carol playlist. Despite the party won't take place in my house I felt the need to decorate it. I needed to continue the tradition from my childhood in my own house. You already know that at my mother's home we create the ornaments every year with fresh green (You can see it here and here). Now I did it in my living room and this fulfilled my spirit. It is also a way to honor my mother and everything she did to make my childhood special. I even manage to recreate this familiar atmosphere when, on a Sunday of advent while I build up the centre pieces, a couple of friends came by my home. Christmas carols were sounding in the background, I invited them to crème brulée, they helped me with the ornamentation... It was just perfect. 

Welcome to the Christmas atmosphere of my home.

I worked hard and long to make all this centerpieces. One week, to be concrete. Well, I am a perfectionist in certain areas of my life... hahaha. I am so proud of the results that I name them. They seem to me like little worlds, little landscapes were my childish imagination can travel away.

Fairytale

Silent Forest

Moonlight

Tradition 

The Guest By Jara López

The Tree

Atmosphere. Advent.

HALLOWEEN. Backyard fire little party.

I like to celebrate "All Hallows Eve". I always did because in my childhood I was obsessed with being a witch. People often reject this party arguing that is a North American tradition and it doesn't belong to us. But this is totally wrong. The tradition is European indeed. Concretely, Celtic. It's called Samhain. In Spain, especially in the north, there were plenty of traditions that took place on the evening of the 31th of October. Rituals in relation with the winter and the long nights. With witches, spirits and magic. The time and the influence of the USA film industry have blurred our own celebrations. I try my best to recover all this atmosphere wherever I am.

This year I though that it would be too complicated to celebrate Halloween since I have a little baby and I no longer own a garden. I had almost accepted that I wouldn't do anything when my friend Anne burn the fire inside of me. She offered me her backyard to do the party, with a fireplace included. Of course, I used my chance. My dear friend Fabia helped me the whole day with the organization of the event. Thanks to her it was all much easier. Otherwise, I wouldn't manage. The whole thing was a bit crazy, quite a rush. To make it all worse, it was raining. We started at three with the shopping and the decoration, and at eight in the night was all tidied up and we were coming back home. 

It was great! We got two birthdays being celebrated (mine and Dimitria's, a lovely future mother). We got warm food and drinks. We got music thanks to my friend Maria. We got a fireplace and a fire juggling show thanks to Dieter. We got little witches and skeletons on a sugar high. We got crying babies and sleeping babies. I even went to the street to get any child into the party and I managed a couple of improvised guests. I guess everybody thought I am crazy and not trustable. Hahaha. I didn't make many pictures, and the few I made aren't good. But... I was just enjoying the moment, too nervous and excited to think with clarity.

To end the evening in the perfect way, Manfred and me watched "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", made in 1939. I know it may not sound like a typical movie for Halloween. But I asure you is a good choice. While watching you don't stop suffering. It is so cruel and intense.

I hope you all celebrated somehow. And had fun. Good night.

.ATMOSPHERE. Nostalgia for Christmas magic

Like the last post, this one comes a bit late too. Today I want to show you the more ornamental part of my Christmas time in Madrid. Lets say the materialist part that includes the decoration, the presents packaging, the table arrangements and some of the food we have eaten then.

The last year I explained it in another post, it is tradition in my mother's house to create the ornaments with fresh plants, therefore ornaments that are build new every time. I thought that last year I was especially motivated but... nothing compared to this year! I think, I made my record in table-centres creation. I enjoyed every day of my holiday so much, feeling how all my brothers were participating with the same motivation as me. We put all our efforts and soul into creating a familiar and friendly atmosphere. We spend a lot of time together, as never before. And it was just wonderful. To my joy was added that Manfred came for the first time and he could discover and be part of the rituals and traditions of my family. Traditions that for me are irreplaceable and really special. 

I have to confess that sometimes I cannot believe my fortune, when I realise how amazingly beautiful my environment is and my childhood was. This time in Madrid was fulfilling and gave me a lot of energy and courage to continue with my own life, far away from the place I grew up. I miss the people that I care about every single day, but I am happy to see that we are lucky persons who know how to manage life, in the path of joy and happiness. Because this is what matters.

In the pictures below, you can see the conceptual Nativity created by my oldest brother —every year more conceptual than the last one hehehe. Some books that I used to read at Christmas time when I was a kid - Only at Christmas! My mother used to hide them the rest of the year to keep them as a special experience). Decorations realised by my sister and me. This year everybody was so participating, even her boyfriend made one! There are also some pictures of the traditional German meal called Sauerbraten that Manfred made for all of us. He wanted to show them what is a truly particular German meal. You will see some breakfast time with traditional German sweets too, some canapés I did for the Christmas Eve at my grandmother's house, some presents here and there...

Well, I hope you enjoy the visual information and appreciate the cozy atmosphere that we breathe at my mother's house. The most beautiful and inviting place in the world.

I'm really happy to be home again, but only because every day of the month I spend there was as I dream of... even better. Me and my beloved ones, we are truly masters of Christmas making! haha. Better than all this atmospheric american movies I haven seen along my childhood. I know I am sounding childish but...perhaps I am childish. My child soul it is extremely satisfied.

I hope you also had a special time because it is worth to live life making it special, with surprises and sensations.